Wednesday, June 1, 2011

I'm lucky. I've had no flooding at my house. I wouldn't have believed it, but homes on the hillside here are getting water in basements. The water table is so high, it's just seeping in. With the wettest and coolest spring on record in our state, and snowpack over 300 percent of normal in some areas, flooding is inevitable as temperatures rise. Many who live near rivers and particularly where rivers drain into lakes are already suffering damage which so far is in the millions of dollars.

The rainy weather has kept me indoors a lot of the spring and the weeds have been taking advantage of my absence. I've bought plants and then kept them covered on the patio lest the cold weather destroy them. Suddenly, today we are 80 degrees. My patio pots, for the most part, did okay. I lost a few vinca plants -- easily replaced. Today I'm finally getting plants in the ground that have waited a couple of weeks.

We are all behind this year because of this weather. Gardeners have waited to put out tender tomatoes and peppers. Some farmers have been unable to get spring crops in. Some fields now underwater will not produce anything this year.

Those who live near rivers can sometimes expect high water. Those of us who live on hillsides are more surprised when it happens here. I am thankful for my luck so far, but will wait and see how the rest of this spring unfolds. This is a story being repeated all over our country.

And the question so many are asking: Is this year of extreme weather everywhere just a fluke? Or is this the outcome of climate change we've been warned of?